By Kim Mendel, RD CDN
The daily grind and pressure of family, work, and/or finances may make it difficult to reflect upon life in a positive way or have hope for the future. Often the results of stress, trying to find your way, or simply just getting through the day, may seem overwhelming. Stress takes a toll on our bodies, affecting our physical health and mental well-being, and can contribute to many disease states. Poor sleep, an overly demanding job, or financial woes can make pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes or chronic pain even more difficult to cope with.
While no magic pill exists to erase all of our issues, and many situations are out of our control, we are able to change our thought processes to better deal with daily life. Worry is an unproductive state……we think about and focus all our energy on things that may or may not happen in the future. We can much better serve our families and improve our own health if we change our mind set to be more constructive and positive. We can use gratitude, a power within us, to make better and heathy changes to our lives.
Gratitude, simply put, is being grateful and thankful. Ask yourself “What do I appreciate? What am I grateful for?” Being able to hear birds chirp, reading a good book, having clean water to drink and enough food to eat are all examples of things to be grateful for. Unfortunately, many of us equate happiness and thankfulness with monetary value, such as “If I only had more money, or a bigger house, or a fancy car, I would be happier and, therefore, more grateful.” In fact, most of the time after acquiring more things, people are no happier. Any problems they had are still there if they have not been resolved. Whatever hardships you face are real…..own them and try and conquer them, one step at a time. Without gratitude for the little things, you cannot move forward, and you are not living each day to its full potential. Being appreciative and having gratitude each day send out a positive vibe, and that positive feeling will come back to you.
Start small with writing a gratitude journal (a simple piece of paper will do). Write down one thing each day that you are grateful for. Before bed, read what you wrote and believe in what you wrote. As the week goes on, add to this list. You can keep the same items or put new things down, such as when someone held the door for you, or you got a great parking spot.
Seek professional help if you need counseling. Go for your yearly physical, have blood work done, and keep on top of your health no matter what stresses you are dealing with. Go for a walk in a new park, or shop at a different food store for a change of scenery. Contact an old friend via email or a handwritten letter if possible. Human contact and catching up with someone always boost immunity and well-being. Simply doing something small for yourself that you enjoy, like joining a library group where you can meet new people and learn something new, will lift your spirit.
Remember……there is no right or wrong way to have gratitude, unless worry and ungratefulness get in the way. There is always something to be grateful for. As the saying goes….you cannot move into the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one. Don’t stagnate in worry and ungratefulness; move forward in gratitude!
Kim Mendel is a Registered Dietician and Diabetes Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Family Health and Wellness Program. She can be reached at km432@cornell.edu